Feelings and Confessions
by Kristen3
Summary: On the night of the Snow Ball, Niles' emotions get the better of him, and it leads to some surprising confessions.
1. Chapter 1

"Thank you so much," Niles whispered, leaning over to kiss Daphne's cheek. It was the night of the Snow Ball. Daphne had never looked lovelier than she did right now in her red sequined gown. That polite gesture was followed by a series of several more kisses trailing down her neck. Niles found that he could not stop. He didn't allow himself to think of where this might lead if he didn't regain control.

"Dr. Crane, what on earth are you doing?" Daphne asked, laughing. "The ball's nearly over. No one's even watching us. I really think you can stop the charade now."

Niles looked up at her in surprise. He'd barely even noticed that most of the other people were leaving the ballroom. "Daphne, may I make a confession?"

"I know it was fun, pretending to be madly in love, but everything can go back to normal," Daphne said.

"But I don't want to go back," Niles blurted out.

"Dr. Crane, you're not making any sense. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" She knew he wasn't used to anything as strenuous as doing the tango, not to mention all of the other dances they'd done.

"This has been the most wonderful night of my life. Being here with you has been a dream come true." He reached for her hand, amazed once again at how soft it was. "This is hard for me to say, but here goes. Everything I said to you on the dance floor tonight was true. I didn't mean for it to come out that way, but I got caught up in the moment, and I'm afraid my heart just took over."

"But...that can't be," Daphne said. "You said I was a goddess, and that you adored me. I thought you were just pretending, because of all the people watching."

Niles shook his head. "I wasn't. It was never about what a few worthless gossips think of my life. I couldn't care less about them. It was all about you."

Daphne smiled. "Well, that's very nice, but I don't really fit in at a place like this. Why, I'm just a poor healthcare worker. I spent a whole week's salary on me dress. Most of these women could probably afford ten dresses, without even glancing at the price tags."

"It's true that you come from a different background and social status than some other people. But don't you see? That's exactly why I love you so much. Why would I ever want to be with someone who only cares about money and gossip? You're sweet and kind, and you make me laugh."

Now Daphne nearly felt tears in her eyes. She'd never thought of herself this way before. Living with the Cranes for three years, she always felt a bit out of place. The elder Dr. Crane owned knickknacks worth several times more than she'd ever made in a year. It simply wasn't her world. "I don't know what to say." The way Dr. Crane was looking at her now, she could hardly even make sense of what he was saying.

"I know that this is a lot to take in," Niles said. "I would never try to pressure you into anything or make you feel uncomfortable. But I just couldn't keep my feelings in any longer."

"Well, you're right. This is rather overwhelming. But you've said so many sweet things to me tonight. It's awfully flattering to know that you think so highly of me. But it isn't easy for me. I work for your brother. Why, we're practically family!" She laughed.

Niles sensed there was a 'but' coming. He braced himself for it. There was no way his heart could stand another rejection tonight. "I see," he said, unable to meet her eyes.

"Please don't be hurt," Daphne said. "I do care about you. Quite a lot, actually. But I just don't want to get ahead of meself. I just need some time to think, all right?"

"All right, then. I'll just drop you off at Frasier's." Daphne nodded at him, and they walked out of the ballroom in silence. Niles desperately hoped that he hadn't ruined whatever chance he might've had with Daphne.


	2. Chapter 2

Niles' heart ached as he walked Daphne into the building. Their perfect, magical evening had ended. When they'd reached the front door, Daphne turned to him. "Thank you for a lovely evening." She kissed his cheek.

"It was my pleasure, Daphne." Feeling somewhat bold, he reached out to caress her soft cheek. "I want you to know, whatever happens between us, I'll always remember tonight."

"So will I," Daphne said. She could tell her words from earlier had hurt him. Part of her wanted to return his feelings. But, if she did that, it could cause an awkward situation. If things went badly, she would still have to see him every day. It was best to proceed carefully. "Goodnight, Dr. Crane. I had a wonderful time."

"I'm glad," Niles said. He could tell that Daphne wasn't going to invite him in. The ache in his chest only seemed to grow as he turned around and got onto the elevator.

Daphne turned and went into the apartment. She could still hear the music at the ball. This whole night had been such a departure from her routine. Now she knew how Cinderella must have felt. And, just like Cinderella, she'd caught the attention of a handsome prince. But her situation was far more complicated than any fairytale. "It's best just to sleep on it," she whispered to herself. No harm in thinking things over before making a decision.

She was grateful for the quiet in the apartment. Most likely Mr. Crane had insisted that he and his elder son give her some privacy. Though the old man could be frustrating at times, he was also very sweet when he wanted to be. Daphne made her way back to her bedroom and got changed. She'd loved wearing the expensive gown, but it felt good to slip on comfortable pajamas.

For a moment, Daphne picked up her romance novel to read a bit before bed. But she soon found that her mind was still on the night's events. Did Dr. Crane really mean what he'd said, about her being a goddess and a vision? It seemed impossible. After all, she was hardly a goddess. And yet, Dr. Crane said it was all true.

No man had ever said those things to her before. Sure, men had told her they loved her. That was always nice to hear. But this was different somehow. She felt sure that Dr. Crane wouldn't have said those things about anyone else. It was so difficult to understand her feelings. Dr. Crane was very sweet. There was no doubting that. But could she really get involved him? What if her boss didn't approve? Would he want her working for him, if she was also dating his brother? And what would Mr. Crane think? She was here to look after him, not find a potential mate for herself. The questions repeated themselves over and over in her mind. The one thing she kept coming back to was the way he'd looked at her all night.

When she realized she'd been sitting there on her bed for over an hour, and was no closer to either a decision, or sleep, she realized this was useless. She simply wouldn't be able to relax until she talked to him again. It was the middle of the night, but she quickly threw on the sweater and jeans she'd been wearing earlier. Very quietly, she crept out of the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

As she got into her car and drove over to Dr. Crane's apartment, she didn't let herself think about what she would say when she got there. All she knew was that she had to say something to Dr. Crane. Otherwise she'd never be able to rest.

Soon she found herself in front of his door. Nervously, she pressed the doorbell. At first, there was no answer. Then Daphne heard footsteps, and the door was opened. Niles stood there in his pajamas. "Daphne. What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"Yes. I mean, no. Oh, I don't know. I'm sorry for coming over here so late, but..."

"Where are my manners? Please come in. You're welcome here, no matter what time it is."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane. I was getting ready for bed, and I just found meself thinking more and more about what you said tonight. I know there are still so many questions I have. Your father and your brother may not want me to be involved with you like this. I work for them. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Daphne, if you're saying what I think you're saying, that you have feelings for me, well...frankly, I don't really care what they think. Over the past few years, I've come to realize that happiness isn't something you find every day. And when you do, you just have to take it. No matter what."

"But this is all so sudden. Why, just a few days ago, I was teaching you to dance, and now look what's happened. I know that you're very sweet, and handsome. But I just don't know what's going to happen if we do get involved. What if this ruins everything?"

Niles came toward her, putting his arms around her. He held her tightly for a moment. "What you've just said makes me happier than I ever thought possible. If you think about it, almost everything we do involves some sort of risk. But if you never take a chance, you don't know if something wonderful could happen."

Daphne heard his words, knowing they were true. She'd taken a risk by even driving here in the middle of the night. But she'd done it because it was her only choice. Now here she was, preparing to take an even bigger risk. "I suppose you're right," she said pulling out of the embrace. "But what do we do now?"

"We can do anything. All that matters to me as that you're here. There's no sense in you going back at this hour. I can make up the guestroom. We can call Frasier in the morning and explain everything."

"Well, all right," Daphne said hesitantly. "But I don't know how we'll ever explain this to your brother. I can barely even make sense of it meself."

"Frasier and Dad will be a bit surprised. I know that. But we're adults, and I think they'll understand. I promise, they won't fire you. I won't let them. You're a part of this family. More than ever before."

Daphne smiled. She liked the idea of belonging somewhere. Of belonging _to _someone. She still felt scared. She put her arms around Niles. Somehow, this made her feel less afraid. "I didn't know what was going to happen when I came here. Showing up on your doorstep like that...you might've thought I was crazy."

"I would never think that, Daphne. Love makes people do things they wouldn't normally do. After all, my love for you is what made me decide to dance. And that led to one of the most memorable nights of my life."

She hadn't thought of it like that before. They had both done things outside their comfort zones tonight. Now here, they were, together. Exactly where they belonged.

**The End**


End file.
